In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede
In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which took place on July 6, 1997 at The Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The card of the event featured four matches. The main event was a ten-man tag team match featuring The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Owen Hart, British Bulldog and Brian Pillman) against Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust and the Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal). The featured matches on the undercard were The Undertaker versus Vader for the WWF Championship, The Great Sasuke versus Taka Michinoku, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley versus Mankind. Background In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede featured professional wrestling matches involving different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots and storylines that were played out on WWF Monday Night Raw and other World Wrestling Federation television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. The featured rivalry heading into the event involved Steve Austin and Bret Hart. While being on hiatus from the WWF from April until October in 1996, Bret Hart received challenges from Steve Austin. After he returned to the WWF, he feuded with Steve Austin, who cost him a victory at the Royal Rumble match, and the WWF Championship. After fighting with him on WrestleMania 13, Austin became a fan favourite, while Hart became a villain, criticizing the American fans for cheering Austin. Hart recruited his brother Owen, his brothers-in-law The British Bulldog and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and Austin's former partner Brian Pillman, creating the Hart Foundation, to fight with Austin. At King of the Ring, Hart challenged the five best American wrestlers of the WWF to fight his team at the event. Austin entered himself into the match the next day on WWF Raw is War, prior to his match with Brian Pillman. Before the match, the Hart foundation attacked Austin, prompting Mankind to replace him in the match. After the match, Austin and Ken Shamrock cleared the ring of the Hart Foundation, and Austin gave the Stunner finisher on Shamrock. Next week, Austin and Pillman fought as the Hart Foundation members were handcuffed into the ring posts, but they managed to release themselves and to attack Austin, who was rescued by Shamrock, Mankind and Goldust. After a brief brawl between Austin and Shamrock, which was broken by the Legion of Doom, Goldust suggested that he, Shamrock and LOD will team up with Austin in the 5 on 5 match at the event, to which Austin agreed. In the June 23 edition of RAW, LOD fought The Godwinns, and after their victory, the Hart Foundation attacked them and Shamrock. Next week, while Austin fought Neidhart, Bret Hart (Who attacked Shamrock during the match) came and attacked Austin, putting the Figure-four leglock on Austin while on the ring post. A predominant feud entering the event featured the WWF champion The Undertaker and Vader. On the June 23 edition of RAW, Vader was announced as the #1 contender for the title, as Undertaker had to team up with Vader in a tournament match for the Tag team titles against the Nation of Domination's team of D'Lo Brown and Faarooq. Vader's manager, Paul Bearer, forced the Undertaker to do as he said or else he will tell a secret from the Undertaker's past. After the Undertaker attacked Vader in the match, Bearer told the secret next week: Throughout The Undertaker's childhood and teen years, he lived in a funeral home with his parents and half-brother. According to Paul Bearer, The Undertaker killed his parents and caused his half-brother's face to be bruised and scarred by setting the funeral home ablaze. The Undertaker denied it and said that Kane was the one that burnt the house. During an attack from the Undertaker after Vader's match with Rockabilly, Bearer said he heard that from Kane himself. Another rivalry heading into event was the continuation of battle between Mankind and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. At the King of the Ring event, Helmsley and Mankind fought at the finals of the King of the ring tournament as Helmsley won, and he kept attacking Mankind after the match. The day after that, Mankind requested a rematch, to which Helmsley agreed. At the June 30 edition of RAW, Mankind and Brian Pillman fought in a match, which Pillman won by a count-out after Helmsley interfered. Event The first contest of the night featured the King of the Ring winner, Hunter Hearst Helmsley taking on Mankind. The match ended in a double count out after a brutal brawl that saw Triple H's bodyguard, Chyna getting involved a good bit. The two men didn't stop fighting though, brawling in the crowd some more before going backstage. The second match featured Japanese talents, Taka Michinoku taking on legend, The Great Sasuke. After some great back and forth action, featuring moves not seen in the United States much, The Great Sasuke gets the win after a Thunder Fire Powerbomb. After the bout, Mankind and Hunter Hearst Helmsley continued their brawl, stretching to the parking lot and in front of the arena. The two men were finally broken up, with Helmsley leaving bloodied. Prior to the main event Farmer's Daughter performed "O Canada". Aftermath Reception This pay-per-view was awarded Best Major Show for 1997 by Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The pay-per-view received a 0.59 buyrate, equivalent to approximately 236,000 buys. Results ; ; *Free for All Match: The Godwinns (Henry O. Godwinn & Phineas I. Godwinn) defeated The New Blackjacks (Blackjack Bradshaw & Blackjack Windham) (5:32) *Mankind vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/ Chyna) ended in a draw. (13:14) *The Great Sasuke defeated Taka Michinoku (10:00) *The Undertaker © defeated Vader (w/ Paul Bearer) to retain the WWF Championship (12:39) *The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart, & Brian Pillman) (w/ Diane Hart-Smith) defeated Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust, & Legion of Doom (Hawk & Animal) in a ten-man tag team match (24:31) Other on-screen talent See also *List of WWE pay-per-view events *WWE Event History DVD Release * In Your House 16 on DVD External links * on WWE Network * In Your House 16 at CAGEMATCH.net * In Your House 16 at Online World of Wrestling Category:World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events Category:In Your House Category:1997 pay-per-view events